Austen Gregerson column: Even as a celebrity, Santos has found a way to make time for everyone

New Century Buffet isn’t the place to find today’s newsmakers in sports, politics or anything, really. The only attraction is rows of Chinese food under heat lamps of suspect quality and country of origin, as I’m not sure when the Ming Dynasty first served undercooked pizza and onion rings.

On Thursday, the St. Johns County St. Augustine Sports Club reeled in a big guest for anyone, let alone a club that averages 25 attendees, in Tulane’s Cairo Santos. The St. Joseph Academy alum, recipient of the Lou Groza award, came to continue the media blitz and attention unbeknownst to most kickers at any level.

Then again, when you’re perfect on your field goals (making all 21 tries) and all but one of your extra points (it was blocked), attention has its way of finding you.

“It’s been crazy the past few weeks, but I’m enjoying it,” Santos said. “Even as I got to the where I was 10-for-10 the attention hasn’t been like this.”

A quick search of the last time Santos has received any sort of media notoriety in his collegiate career was back in is freshman year as he battled with Ryan Rome for the starting job. After that, missed field goals were the only time he got a mention: 10 times over his first two seasons.

When things started getting crazy for the small-school, no-name kicker was a little past the midway point of the season. Santos had made all 14 of his field goal attempts up to that point and was attempting a 57-yard field goal, one he would make and set the school record with.

Then came the Lou Groza semifinalist recognition. The only distinction was being called one of the nation’s Top 20 collegiate kickers, but it was enough to garner the attention of the New Orleans Time-Picayune and a couple of media outlets back in Brazil — not to mention The Record of course.

But still, he was just a college kicker on a team that was 2-6 and would finish the season at 2-10.

“I was getting interview requests for newspapers in New Orleans, back in Brazil, even ESPN Brazil wanted to do an interview with me when I got back home,” Santos said. “I’m not used to it at all, but I like the attention. It’s new to me and I’m thankful for getting it.”

Back at the podium, Santos recited his playing career to the club’s members, many of whom were totally unaware he would be addressing them that day.

The same story he’s been peddling around since the press junkets began was told again with the same humility, earnestness and attentiveness as when I first heard it a few weeks ago.

He didn’t know and didn’t care about American football when he first transferred to St. Joseph his sophomore year of high school as an exchange student. He only wanted to stay one year, but when it became apparent he had potential to get a college scholarship, he stuck around for the next two with his host family, the Burnetts, who’s son, Tyler, was an All-County basketball player.

The exact number of times he has told his story to different groups of ignorant strangers — myself included — has become too many to remember.

But that doesn’t stop him from telling it. Ever.

“I don’t want to let anybody down, and I also realize that this may never happen again,” he said. “I’m trying to enjoy it while it lasts.”

The attention hasn’t been confined to this continent. Santos’ birthplace of Sao Paolo, Brazil has ran with his successes as probably the most famous Brazilian playing American football.

“In America, people recognize me as being a kicker who had a great season,” Santos said. “But in Brazil people look at me as being the first Brazilian to have a chance at playing in the NFL, and that means a lot to them. People here understand the game more, but down there, it means more personally.”

The only time he wished for a reprieve came when any college student wants solemn isolation from the outside world — finals week.

“I was getting all kinds of interview requests, phone interviews that they wanted to put the news in the next day’s paper,” Santos said. “But the entire time I was studying for finals and trying to answer all the requests, it got a little overwhelming at that point.”

Even then, every interview request got answered.

Small-town kicker. Wasn’t even the best kicker in his own county during high school. Santos knows these moments don’t come around often for any type of kicker, so he’s going to enjoy the run no matter where it takes him.